Help from Anne McCaffrey fans

AintLDS · 12-17-2009, 04:04 PM

My daughter, who is 10, is a voracious reader, often reading the same books over and over. She is currently hooked on the Warriors series, Fablehaven series, and the Looking Glass Wars. She's read The Hobbit and The Graveyard Book, among others. I think she's a relatively advanced reader for her age.

I've noticed she's become a fan of dragon books which leads me to my question: are the Dragonriders of Pern books suitable for her? Any sex or excessive violence in there? Are there any in the series that are not worth reading?

MelC · 12-17-2009, 04:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AintLDS

My daughter, who is 10, is a voracious reader, often reading the same books over and over. She is currently hooked on the Warriors series, Fablehaven series, and the Looking Glass Wars. She's read The Hobbit and The Graveyard Book, among others. I think she's a relatively advanced reader for her age.

I've noticed she's become a fan of dragon books which leads me to my question: are the Dragonriders of Pern books suitable for her? Any sex or excessive violence in there? Are there any in the series that are not worth reading?

The first three are the best (Dragonflight, Dragonquest and The White Dragon). There are allusions to violence etc. but no descriptive passages or anything. However, the books are reasonably complicated and adult in other ways so she may not take to them at that age? The Harper series based also on Pern but with less dragons are probably more simplistic stories and easier to follow, centre around young people, and quite enjoyable (Dragonsinger, Dragonsong and Dragondrums) so you may want to start her on those.

You might also want to try the Inheritance series - beginning with Eragon which is your standard boy meets dragon, boy rushes off to save the world series.

Mel

Terisa de morgan · 12-17-2009, 04:14 PM

I've read them with 14 or 15, I think. No much sex or violence, as I remember. I like more "White dragon" trilogy (They called it so here in Spain).

Treven · 12-17-2009, 04:18 PM

Very appropriate for someone her age. I've read & re-read all of her books, hardbound, paperback as well as ebook version. She is one of my most favorite authors.

You might try her out on "The Girl Who Heard Dragons"; it's a short story. And/or "The Littelist (sp) Dragon Rider."

radius · 12-17-2009, 04:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MelC

The Harper series based also on Pern but with less dragons are probably more simplistic stories and easier to follow, centre around young people, and quite enjoyable (Dragonsinger, Dragonsong and Dragondrums) so you may want to start her on those.

I agree with this. I these will be both more suitable and more enjoyable.

I don't remember anything too explicit in the dragonrider novels, but there is some allusion to almost marital rape if I remember correctly.

GlennD · 12-17-2009, 04:28 PM

There's a couple of mostly offscreen sex scenes in the White Dragon, mostly to illustrate how a dragonrider's telepathic dragon shares in the experience with him. I don't remember them being particularly graphic.

I agree with MelC about Eragon, although I think they should be read prior to too much exposure to other fantasy. They're really quite derivative....but a 10 year old probably wouldn't realize that.

MelC · 12-17-2009, 04:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GlennD

I agree with MelC about Eragon, although I think they should be read prior to too much exposure to other fantasy. They're really quite derivative....but a 10 year old probably wouldn't realize that.

My thoughts exactly - I always have fun paralleling as much of it as I can to Star Wars (the original trilogy) which is also derivative. But it is interesting to recognize that the whole series (and it ain't short or finished for that matter) was written by a teenage boy (he may be twenty now but he was only sixteen when he wrote the first one).

Mel

AintLDS · 12-17-2009, 06:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MelC

The Harper series based also on Pern but with less dragons are probably more simplistic stories and easier to follow, centre around young people, and quite enjoyable (Dragonsinger, Dragonsong and Dragondrums) so you may want to start her on those.

I'll buy her these. She's been reading the Dragon Adventures (Dragon Flight, Dragon Spear, & Dragon Slippers) by Jessica Day George and really liked them.

Thank you all for the recommendations!

jaxx6166 · 12-17-2009, 06:40 PM

I think you also may want to check out E.E. Knight's Dragon Champion series. I'd preview them first though, as his Vampire Earth can be quite dark and disturbing in some places. I've heard that Dragon Champion is a much lighter read though.

jaxx6166 · 12-17-2009, 06:42 PM

You'd also maybe want to introduce her to the original DragonLance Chronicles series. Dragons of Autumn Twilight, Dragons of Winter Night, and Dragons of Spring Dawning. I remember reading them when I was 12 - 16 and was enthralled. If you can find them somewhere, you may also want to look for Douglas Niles young adult trilogy. One of the novels was Pawns Prevail. I don't recall it having lots of dragons, but I think there was a few mentions of one or three.

I just found on the magical interwebs a young adult version of the original chronicles series. I'm pretty sure these are probably just slimmed down versions of the big books, but you never know. They were originally published in 2003 - 2005. They are:

A Rumor of Dragons, Night of Dragons, The Nightmare Lands, To the Gates of Palanthas, Hopes Flame, and Dawn of Dragons.

nomesque · 12-17-2009, 06:49 PM

The Petaybee series might be good for her, too. No dragons, but the second trilogy in particular in written from the perspective of children/teens. I think there's one free at the B&N ebook store atm?

PKFFW · 12-17-2009, 07:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MelC

My thoughts exactly - I always have fun paralleling as much of it as I can to Star Wars (the original trilogy) which is also derivative. But it is interesting to recognize that the whole series (and it ain't short or finished for that matter) was written by a teenage boy (he may be twenty now but he was only sixteen when he wrote the first one).

Mel

I read the first one just to see what all the fuss was about when I heard the author was 15. I must say I found it rather boring, derivative and shallow. I can understand why a fuss was made, since it's respectable writing for a 15 year old, but I didn't think it was "good writing" in general and there wasn't anything that made me want to continue with the series.

I never understood why a movie was made out of it or why a 2nd and 3rd book got published for that matter.

Cheers,
PKFFW

Dr. Drib · 12-17-2009, 08:16 PM

McCaffrey's name corrected.

Don (Moderator)

Krystian Galaj · 12-18-2009, 08:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PKFFW

I read the first one just to see what all the fuss was about when I heard the author was 15. I must say I found it rather boring, derivative and shallow. I can understand why a fuss was made, since it's respectable writing for a 15 year old, but I didn't think it was "good writing" in general and there wasn't anything that made me want to continue with the series.

I never understood why a movie was made out of it or why a 2nd and 3rd book got published for that matter.

I heard the author's parents are major publishers in Italy, with lots of connections.

PKFFW · 12-18-2009, 05:39 PM

That would explain it.

12-17-2009, 04:04 PM	#1
AintLDS No soliciting Posts: 55 Karma: 505122 Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Utah Device: Kindle Voyage and iPhone 8 Plus	Help from Anne McCaffrey fans My daughter, who is 10, is a voracious reader, often reading the same books over and over. She is currently hooked on the Warriors series, Fablehaven series, and the Looking Glass Wars. She's read The Hobbit and The Graveyard Book, among others. I think she's a relatively advanced reader for her age. I've noticed she's become a fan of dragon books which leads me to my question: are the Dragonriders of Pern books suitable for her? Any sex or excessive violence in there? Are there any in the series that are not worth reading? Last edited by Dr. Drib; 12-17-2009 at 08:17 PM.

12-17-2009, 04:18 PM	#4
Treven Addict Posts: 222 Karma: 680 Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: the Left Coast Device: iPad	Very appropriate for someone her age. I've read & re-read all of her books, hardbound, paperback as well as ebook version. She is one of my most favorite authors. You might try her out on "The Girl Who Heard Dragons"; it's a short story. And/or "The Littelist (sp) Dragon Rider." Last edited by Treven; 12-17-2009 at 04:20 PM.

12-17-2009, 06:42 PM	#10
jaxx6166 Wizard Posts: 1,222 Karma: 769316 Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Eternal summer Device: 350, iPad, PW	You'd also maybe want to introduce her to the original DragonLance Chronicles series. Dragons of Autumn Twilight, Dragons of Winter Night, and Dragons of Spring Dawning. I remember reading them when I was 12 - 16 and was enthralled. If you can find them somewhere, you may also want to look for Douglas Niles young adult trilogy. One of the novels was Pawns Prevail. I don't recall it having lots of dragons, but I think there was a few mentions of one or three. I just found on the magical interwebs a young adult version of the original chronicles series. I'm pretty sure these are probably just slimmed down versions of the big books, but you never know. They were originally published in 2003 - 2005. They are: A Rumor of Dragons, Night of Dragons, The Nightmare Lands, To the Gates of Palanthas, Hopes Flame, and Dawn of Dragons. Last edited by jaxx6166; 12-17-2009 at 06:47 PM. Reason: DragonLance Young Adult discovered

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12-17-2009, 04:14 PM	#3
Terisa de morgan Grand Sorcerer Posts: 6,233 Karma: 11768331 Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Madrid, Spain Device: Kobo Clara/Aura One/Forma,XiaoMI 5, iPad, Huawei MediaPad, YotaPhone 2	I've read them with 14 or 15, I think. No much sex or violence, as I remember. I like more "White dragon" trilogy (They called it so here in Spain).

12-17-2009, 04:28 PM	#6
GlennD Wizard Posts: 2,101 Karma: 17249026 Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: The Pacific NW Device: sony PRS350, iPhone, iPad	There's a couple of mostly offscreen sex scenes in the White Dragon, mostly to illustrate how a dragonrider's telepathic dragon shares in the experience with him. I don't remember them being particularly graphic. I agree with MelC about Eragon, although I think they should be read prior to too much exposure to other fantasy. They're really quite derivative....but a 10 year old probably wouldn't realize that.

12-17-2009, 06:40 PM	#9
jaxx6166 Wizard Posts: 1,222 Karma: 769316 Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Eternal summer Device: 350, iPad, PW	I think you also may want to check out E.E. Knight's Dragon Champion series. I'd preview them first though, as his Vampire Earth can be quite dark and disturbing in some places. I've heard that Dragon Champion is a much lighter read though.

12-17-2009, 06:49 PM	#11
nomesque Snooty Bestselling Author Posts: 1,485 Karma: 1000000 Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Ipswich, QLD, Australia Device: PRS-650	The Petaybee series might be good for her, too. No dragons, but the second trilogy in particular in written from the perspective of children/teens. I think there's one free at the B&N ebook store atm?

12-17-2009, 08:16 PM	#13
Dr. Drib Grand Sorcerer Posts: 44,748 Karma: 55645321 Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Peru Device: Kindle: Oasis 3, Voyage WiFi; Kobo: Libra 2, Aura One	McCaffrey's name corrected. Don (Moderator)

12-18-2009, 05:39 PM	#15
PKFFW Wizard Posts: 3,681 Karma: 28297636 Join Date: Dec 2008 Device: BeBook, Sony PRS-T1, Kobo H2O	That would explain it.

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